Context-Based Mentoring Training: Contemporary and Future Perspectives

Mentoring represents a critical mechanism for supporting beginning teachers’ (BTs) participation and development within the education systems. This study offers a professional perspective on the mentoring process while focusing on mentor education. Drawing on Larsen et al. (Citation2023) Future-focused Mentoring framework (FfM), this study examines mentor education characteristics that establish a professional foundation for contemporary mentoring training and practice. Using a case study methodology, the research investigates mentor training typologies developed within the Promentors Erasmus + capacity-building project through semi-structured interviews, observations of project meetings, and analysis of project documents. Thematic-inductive analysis of various training programs revealed four typologies: Mentor-Travel, Culture-Context, Early Education, and Lifelong Learning. These context-sensitive frameworks demonstrate that successfully establishing effective contemporary mentoring programs requires advancing significant changes in mentor education. Findings reveal that mentor preparation must become more adaptive to local contexts, grounded in pedagogical principles, and responsive to distinctive socio-cultural characteristics of specific educational communities. This integrated approach positions mentoring as supporting both beginning- and mentor-teacher professional development while promoting teacher retention.